Paige's Piano
by SpecialAgentBeckymarie
Summary: A story of Paige when she is 17. Not what happened in the TV show Charmed.


**Paige is 17 her dad is dead she is living with her step mum doesn't know about her sister or magic. Not what happened to Paige in charmed i got an ider from a book I read and changed it to make it more charmed.**

* * *

Paige sat down on the narrow, padded velvet bench and flexed her fingers.  
"Paige" From the living room across thr hall came her stepmother's voice screech of a night owl, shriek of an angry cat "I can't hear anything!"

"Paige? Did you hear me?" Whining like an old engine Grace-the-stepmother wasn't old, she was twenty-five years younger theb Paiges late father han been. Still, she whined,"You'll never be rich and famous like your precious grandmother if you sit on that bench like a lump. Let's get those fingers moving dear"  
Paige muttered bitterly to the piano, "What dose she mean, let us? It's only my fingers that spened hours and hours on these piano keys. I'm so tired, I can't think straight. can't think at all. All Grace's fingers do all day change TV channels and titoe througe the chocs!"

She sighed heavily, her fingers poised above the keys as she thought wistfully of the rock concert at the Stadiam last night. Grace had forbidden her to go "Don't be silly " She had said "practise makes perfect, remeber? You've got that competition coming up . If you win it, and you,d better, WE'll be on our way, sweet."

What do you mean "we"? Paige thought angrily. I'm the one whos practically bolted to this piano bench. All i ever do is practise, practise, practise.

Nothing seemed real in her gloomy little world any more except the grim, dark-panelled music room, the piano and the bench.

Every one else had gone to the concert. Even Rikki. Rikki Jeffries was Paiges strongest competion in the race for a scholarship to the Acadamy of music in London, the winner to be decided by the competition Grace had mentioned.

Paige was about to bring her hands down on the keys when they suddenely rippled up and down the scale on there own, as if to catch her attebtion. Than they begain to play. They played the opening bars of Black-Hearted woman.

Paige clasped her hands "Oh your right!" dhe murmared "Grace, she is, she is The blackest heart of all"  
If grace had entered the room justthan and said, " Why on earth are you talking to that piamo"  
Paige would of answered defintly " Well why shouldn't I? Don't I spend every waking moment of my life on this bench? Should't this piano know me better than any one else besdes music is a langage after all."

Talking to a piano wasn't so weird. She'd herd of stranger things. Like, For instance, her father marrind someone like Geace.

Hands resting in her lap, her voice soft and wounded, Paige asked the piano "Why did he ever marry her?"

The piano player Why Do Fool Fall In Love? Paige nodded, her long dark brown hair bobbing gently on her sholders, "Poor daddy . He'd been alone a long time after mother died, and Grace was kind of pretty when he met her. He wasn't foolish about anything else,only her. Sat right there in his leather recliner and let her spend every penny he ever had. Now he's dead and i'm stuk with her. I can't very well through her out. This was her house. He left it to her."

"I hate practing for hours every day, but it,s not your falt, I love you"  
It was true, Paige did love her piano it was an odd looking tinstrument. Old and dark, with thick legs embellished with grotesque carvings of aanimal heads. Paige insised that they were aetistic but secrety, she knew the piano was a monstrosity. The piano had been handeddown to her from her grand mother a world renowned concert pianist untill her sudden death at the age of thirty-four. Because of her success, she had died a welthly young woman, Leaving her money to her son, Sam, Paige's father. eho was than a boy of ten.

Bad investments and grace's varuaious apperite fo material things had dissiputed the fortune untill there was little left. They could barely keep up with the maintence on the once-stately house, and Grace had suggested they sell the piano "it's a gen-yoo-ine antique ahe had told Paiges father "Bring a small fourtune" But Paige had cried and her father, for once, had supporter her.

A year later, Shortle after her father,s death Paige's piano teacher dr Wilkins, had, announced that in his opinian she had a very good chance of following in her grandmothers footsteps. From that moment on there had been no talk of selling the piano.Grace wasn't stupid she knew a good thing when she saw it. So, untill it had become so demanding she barely had time for schoolwork, and a socil life was out of the qustion. She could no longer remember what fun felt like.

Grace was determined to be rich again, and Paige was the tool she intened to use. Now the piano was teling Paige that it understood her, And it loved her. well it was nice that someone did. ther was no lover losted between her and her stepmother, and Jimmy Nevins-the only boy she'd ever been interested in-had eyes only for Rikki Jeffries. As for Jimmey was concerned Paige was just another musical prodigy at music academy.

Without her beloved piano, she would,t have anything. They understand each other, she and her granmothers antique musical instrument.

A pleased smile creasing her pale, strained face,Paige lightly player you are my sunshine.  
The piano answered with you light Up My Life.  
Paige laughed again, she suddenely felt light-hearted and stronger than she had in weeks.

"Paige!" The owl-screech again. "What are you doing in ther." Have you forgotten that competition is tomorrow afternoo? That Jeffries girl is going to Steal that scholaship right out from under your nose if you don't stop fooling around"  
Paige stuck out her tongue in the direction of the hallway. "Whoever wins this competition tomorrow," she explained to the piano "gets to go to the conservatory in London, all expenses paied. I'm not sure i want to go ther, but it's the only way I'm ever going to get awyfrom her," nodding towards the living room.

The keys played a quick livly tune.  
"I know that one! It,s from the musical Oliver!-I'd Do Anything For You." Paige straightenened the pages of her sheet music. "Well, thanks, that's really sweet. But about the only thing you could do for me now is get Rikki Jeffries out of my hait...out of my life, and i thimk that's too much to ask even of a wonderful piano like yourself. Now we'd better get to work before our black-hearted woman comes rushing in to a strap my fingers to your keys"  
Her shouldes no longe4r slumper, Paige began practising in earnest.

Grace went out to dinner with friends. After a quick sandwich in the cold, dimly-lit kitchen, Paige slipped out of the house and, as she often did at twilight, went for a walk in the woods surrounding the house.

She had only gone a short way when a figure on a huge pale horse appeaared in the distance. long silvery hair hung lose beneath the rides,s red velvet helmet. She,d know that hair anywhere. Rikki Jeffries. Riding in Paige,s woods! Of all the nerve.  
Paige had once a horse of her own. His name was Perry, and she had loved him passionately, but Grace had sold him, reminding Paige cooly that she had no time for riding anyway. It had broken her heart.  
It wasn,t fair that Rikki had her beaytiful horse and time to ride him too. Was she that sure that the scholarship to London was hers? Probably. Like everyone at mucic academy

Hidden by the thick woods, Paige was about to turn back to avoid Riki when horse and rider began to cross the arched wooden footbridge spanning the brook that wound along the mossy banks far below.  
That bridge won't hold them, Paige thought, leaning wearily against a huge oke tree. It's not strong enough. But when she opened her mouth to call out a warning no sound came out.  
She tried again. nothing.  
Horse and rider continued on across the narrow wooden bridge. It creaked a loud, pained protest as it felt the sudden weight.

Paige held her breath, Than, as she watched she heard an agonized gron as the bridge supports bent and snaped under the waight of the horse and rider

On the bridge Rikki yanked her horsr to a sudden halt. Well what did she expect? Paige thorught Than as if the wooden posts could not hold the girl and horse any longer, there was a deafening sound of Rikki screams through the night. Than the cold , deep silence of sudden death filled the darkening woods

The next day at school every one was gathered arouned the reception their faces drained of colour.  
"The woods were Rikki died isn,t that near your house" Jimmy asked Paige when shr got to school Paige nodded. What had happed was Rikki's own falt like Grace said

No reason to feel guilty at all...


End file.
